Post by Bonobo on Jul 21, 2011 20:51:54 GMT 1

Prince rings changes at Czartoryski Museum14.07.2011 08:24Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski, heir to the collections of the world-renowned Czartoryski Museum, has approved the dismissal of the enterprise’s entire management board, including its chairman, Count Adam Zamoyski.

The move was revealed in a press communique on Wednesday afternoon, and it comes in the wake of a series of disagreements between the National Museum in Krakow and the Foundation of the Czartoryski Princes.

“This decision has been made in order to improve the functioning of the Foundation of the Czartoryski Princes and to assure the correct collaboration with the National Museum in Krakow,” the Prince expressed in an official letter, citing that the decision had been taken together with the Council of the Foundation.

The Czartoryski Museum, which enjoys considerable international prestige, not least due to its ownership of Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine (pictured above), was appropriated by the state during the communist era.

In 1991, Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski, who grew up in exile in Spain, won the collections back in a landmark court case. However, it was agreed that the museum would be co-administered by the Krakow branch of the National Museum, echoing the arrangement of the Cold War era.

Count Adam Zamoyski, hitherto Chairman of the Board, and first cousin of Czartoryski, is a distinguished historian of Central Europe. Like his cousin, he grew up in exile, but friction emerged in Krakow over plans to modernise the museum, as well as the question of the loan of the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece.

Although loans were ultimately approved by the Ministry of Culture, many in the Polish art world spoke out against this year’s tour of the masterpiece, a programme which takes in Madrid, Berlin and London.

Rounding off Wednesday’s communique, Czartoryski expressed “hope” that “thanks to this decision, the Foundation will continue the mission of the Princes Czartoryski Museum and Library, initiated by his ancestors in the service of the Nation.”

Meanwhile, work is set to continue at the Czartoryski Museum, where a major revamp is under way, as had initially been envisioned by Adam Zamoyski.

The new chairman of the board is Olga Jaros who has co-curated a number of exhibitions for the National Museum.

The decision was made in collaboration with the Council, which includes a number of leading art historians and members of the Czartoryski clan. (nh/jb)

Editor’s note (18.07.2011):

Adam Zamoyski was unavailable for comment when this article was initially published. However, he has since told thenews.pl that most of the art historians on the Foundation’s council were ejected by Czartoryski prior to last week’s change of direction.

According to Zamoyski, the following had been dismissed from the Council one day before the decision was made:

Prof. Andrzej Rottermund – Director of the Royal Castle in WarsawProf. Andrzej CiechanowieckiProf. Maria Poprzecka – Professor of Art History at the University of Warsaw, former president of Association of Polish Art HistoriansProf. Zdzislaw Pietrzyk – Director of the Jagiellonian Library

Post by Bonobo on Jul 25, 2011 18:52:29 GMT 1

Krakow’s debts could reach 260 million z³oty by the end of this year – 13 times higher than official figures suggest – according to a report by an independent think-tank based in the city.

The Kosciuszko Institute, which analyses economic trends locally, amongst other areas of research, issued the report showing the true potential depth of Krakow’s debt problem. Officially, the projected budget deficit for 2011 stands at a modest 20.3 million z³oty. However, this does not take into account the debts of companies that are registered separately but are dependent on the city.

The report said that, when these ‘hidden debts’ are taken into the account, they could push the official deficit estimate up thirteen-fold.

Overall, Poland’s biggest cities have official debts of approximately 19.7 billion z³oty – rising to an estimated 27.4 billion z³oty when hidden debt is factored in. Although Krakow’s actual debt was found to be among the largest in Poland, the cities of Poznañ, Szczecin and Bydgoszcz all have more hidden debt than declared deficit projections.

Monitoring the budgets of major Polish cities is part of the work of the Kosciuszko Institute’s Economy and Finance section. Their analysts pay special attention to the balance between each city’s debt and revenue. The practice of local governments creating separate companies to bear the financial burden of some projects, and thereby removing debt from their books, has been heavily criticised by the institute. It states that this is “bad practice” because it “disorganises the financial regime, dilutes responsibility for debt and introduces disinformation as to the actual state of the public finances of local government entities.”

The institute’s mission statement regarding budget monitoring adds: “Apart from the official budget figures realized subsequently in the course of the financial year, we shall also include information about the financial state of the companies in which the cities have acquired stocks or shares, especially if they are their sole owners.”

The purpose of taking into account the finances of these companies, says the institute, is to ‘sensitise’ authorities to the problem of indebtedness, and to improve transparency in public finances so that ordinary members of the public can access and understand information.

Recent high-budget projects in Krakow include a futuristic sports arena near Nowa Huta, for which the city has borrowed 300 million z³oty from PKO Bank Polska, and a long-awaited tramline to Ruczaj, costing 150 million z³oty – 53 million of which is coming from European Union funds.

Although the city’s actual debt may be many times higher than the published deficit, when the money owed by local authority-dependent companies is taken into account, Krakow is still marked as ‘investment grade’ by the biggest credit reference agencies. Moody’s, Standard & Poor, and Fitch all put the city right at the top end of the ‘lower medium grade’ category.

What this means in practice, according to the Bankers’ Almanac, is that Krakow has “adequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitments.”

And, while the city itself may owe 260 million z³oty, it’s mayor, Jacek Majchrowski, has deeper pockets. Research by the newspaper Rzeczpospolita, based on declared earnings and income from investments, estimated the personal wealth of Mr Majchrowski at about 2.7 million z³oty.

This makes him the third richest local politician in Poland, after Warsaw’s Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (4.9 million), and Gdansk’s Pawe³ Adamowicz (2.8 million). Even in Olsztyn, capital of the unemployment-stricken and poverty-stricken Warmia-Masuria region, mayor Piotr Grzymowicz has a declared personal fortune of 1.6 million z³oty. Five other cities – Wroc³aw, Poznañ, Szczecin, Rzeszów and Gorzów Wielkopolski – also have millionaire mayors, according to Rzeczpospolita’s report.

Post by pjotr on Jan 27, 2013 10:52:55 GMT 1

Bonobo/Jeanne,

It is good that Krakow finally started the building competition with Warsaw. It has a lot of catching up to do. With all that sky scrapers around the Pallace of culture. Why not a Krakovian La Defense, outside the city centre? ;D

Post by jeanne on Jan 27, 2013 12:40:14 GMT 1

It is good that Krakow finally started the building competition with Warsaw. It has a lot of catching up to do. With all that sky scrapers around the Pallace of culture. Why not a Krakovian La Defense, outside the city centre? ;D

I'm not quite sure about that, Pieter. I think there is something to be said in the defense of charm, and I think, from the pictures I have seen, that Krakow has lots of charm which is worth preserving. Its charm may be what draws people to it.

Of course, all this is said by myself, someone who has never been there! So, I'm listening to those of you who have differing opinions than mine!

Post by tufta on Jan 27, 2013 16:27:36 GMT 1

I'm with Pjotr here. I think the charm of 'inner Krakow' wouldn't be killed by a modern financial-commercial part of the city. One the opposite Kraków would become rich and stop milking Warsaw for keeping up their antiques

Post by Bonobo on Jan 27, 2013 22:20:43 GMT 1

I'm with Pjotr here. I think the charm of 'inner Krakow' wouldn't be killed by a modern financial-commercial part of the city. One the opposite Kraków would become rich and stop milking Warsaw for keeping up their antiques

No, it wouldn`t but Krakow is the spiritual center of Poland and people here aspire for high culture, not business, trade, skyscrpaers and other down-to earth things.

What milking are you talking about? Krakow also pays Robin Hood tax (janosikowe).

Post by tufta on Jan 28, 2013 9:16:43 GMT 1

I am for the solidarity taxes and against total decentralization of the state in general. Though I support 'subsidarity'

Aspiration for high culture does not exclude down-to-earth ones. On the opposite high culture needs high amounts of monies. It's been like that for ages.

I disagree with the notion that Kraków is a spiritual centre of Poland.

The solidarity tax. Yes, Kraków is nominally in the payers group. Here are the amount demonstrated relatively :

Warsaw 82.0

Poznañ 8.4

Wroc³aw 6.0

Kraków 6.0

Piaseczno 3.6

Gdañsk 3.2

Katowice 3.0

Pruszków 2.6

£ód¼ 2.5

Please note that the two counties around towns of Pruszków and Piaseczno together pay much more than many full-blown cities, including Kraków.

But that's not end of the story! Of all the funds allocated in Poland for the preservation of the relics of the past, Kraków recieves more the half! In the 2013 budget some 4.0, while pays 6.0 solidarity, plus recieves many other forms of funding. So we have a strange situation where an affluent city, with 150% of the average Polish GDP is virtually subsidized. The effect is visible - the city (inner city 'old Kraków') is well to excellently preserved while in the rest of the state, especially in less affluent cities, they are deteriorating. Kraków has moderate to extra good infrastrcuture while poorer regions have poor to none. Kraków pays his budgetary employees well, while poorer regions... poorly And so on.

Don't gey me wrong, Bo. I am not against financing the treasures of cultures located in Kraków. Neither I am against preserving and expanding Kraków's position as a major tourist destination. And as a major pillar of Polish education, research and culture. I just think that the high mark, the trade mark of Kraków, recognized Europe-wide could be well use to lure real money there. Building a nice, ultra modern financial-commercial centre on the outskirsts would help greatly, and the companies would FLOCK AND BEG to have their branches in the great, old, charming city of Kraków.

Post by Bonobo on Jan 28, 2013 22:42:09 GMT 1

Please note that the two counties around towns of Pruszków and Piaseczno together pay much more than many full-blown cities, including Kraków.

Yes, indeed!

But that's not end of the story! Of all the funds allocated in Poland for the preservation of the relics of the past, Kraków recieves more the half! In the 2013 budget some 4.0, while pays 6.0 solidarity, plus recieves many other forms of funding. So we have a strange situation where an affluent city, with 150% of the average Polish GDP is virtually subsidized.The effect is visible - the city (inner city 'old Kraków') is well to excellently preserved while in the rest of the state, especially in less affluent cities, they are deteriorating. Kraków has moderate to extra good infrastrcuture while poorer regions have poor to none. Kraków pays his budgetary employees well, while poorer regions... poorly And so on.

If you say so, I must believe you.

Don't gey me wrong, Bo. I am not against financing the treasures of cultures located in Kraków. Neither I am against preserving and expanding Kraków's position as a major tourist destination. And as a major pillar of Polish education, research and culture. I just think that the high mark, the trade mark of Kraków, recognized Europe-wide could be well use to lure real money there. Building a nice, ultra modern financial-commercial centre on the outskirsts would help greatly, and the companies would FLOCK AND BEG to have their branches in the great, old, charming city of Kraków.

Tufta, do you really think that those global business tycoons haven`t checked the chances of profits from building such a center in Krakow yet??? I am sure they have and realised that the most profitable location is Warsaw.

Post by tufta on Jan 29, 2013 9:12:46 GMT 1

I am afraid they are spoiled nowadays. One needs to sucure super-dooper infrastructure, top office surface and low taxes. Then they come ;-)And the investment pays off!Kraków is in excellent position and could easily compete as hub for Sofija-Kijev-Krakow triangle - exactly thanks to other advantages it offers. But a proper 'city' in a physical meaning is indispensable...

Post by Bonobo on Jan 29, 2013 22:12:56 GMT 1

I am afraid they are spoiled nowadays. One needs to sucure super-dooper infrastructure, top office surface and low taxes. Then they come ;-)And the investment pays off!Kraków is in excellent position and could easily compete as hub for Sofija-Kijev-Krakow triangle - exactly thanks to other advantages it offers. But a proper 'city' in a physical meaning is indispensable...

Post by jeanne on Feb 14, 2013 21:47:17 GMT 1

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tufta, for restoring my faith! These photos, etc. definitely portray my own dreams and imaginings of the lovely city of Krakow!! These are the images I hold in my heart of the romantic city Bonobo calls home! I may be living in my own little dreamworld, but it's a happy place to be!